Device for applying stoppers to frangible objects



June 6, 1950 G. c. FAIRBAIRN 2,510,878

DEVICE FOR APPLYING STOPPERS 'ro F'RANGIBLE OBJECTS Filed Aug. 12, 1947' INVENTOR.

Patented June 6, 1950 UNITED DEVICE FOR APPLYING STOPPERS TO FRANGIBLE OBJECTS George C. Fairbairn, Port Arthur, Tex., assignor to The Texas Company, New York, N. Y., a corporation of Delaware Application August 12, 1947, Serial No. 768,120

2 Claims.

The invention concerns a device for use in applying stoppers to frangible objects such as the lateral tubes of distillation flasks and laboratory thermometers.

Distillation flasks as used in laboratories are ordinarily made of glass and are provided with lateral tubes which convey vapors evolved during distillation to communicating condensing apparatus. The condensing apparatus usually comprises a pair of concentric glass tubes, the outer tube acting as a cooling jacket and water or other cooling medium being passed through it to cool and condense the vapors. The lateral tubes of the distillation flasks are ordinarily provided with cork stoppers, the lateral tube of the flask being inserted through a hole in the stopper and the stopper in turn being inserted in the inner tube of the condensing apparatus. It is diflicult to apply the stoppers to the glass tubes without breakage of the tubes and the danger of being cut by broken glass.

Laboratory thermometers are often provided with an encircling stopper or cork so positioned that the thermometer can be inserted to any desired extent in a container, the stopper engaging the container and serving as the support of the thermometer. As is the case with the distillation flasks, it is diiiicult to thread the thermometers through the stoppers without breaking them and when breakage occurs the operators are often seriously injured.

The invention will be understood from the following description and the accompanying draw ing, in which:

Fig. 1 is a top plan view of the device of the invention with the guard removed.

Fig. 2 is a side elevation taken on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1 showing the device of the invention with the guard in place.

Referring to the drawing, a frame is provided comprising a base I, a pair of upstanding end members 2 and 3 secured rigidly to the base I and a pair of parallel rods 4 secured at their ends to the end members 2 and 3 and lying in the same horizontal plane parallel to the base.

An upstanding rod-like member 5 is secured to the base I adjacent the end member 2. A cross member 5 is slidably mounted on the parallel rods 5 and is adapted to be secured against movement longitudinally with respect thereto by means of set screws 1. The end member 2 and the cross member 5 have aligned vertical slots 8 and formed therein extending downwardly from the upper edges thereof and spaced an 2 1ike member 5 is slightly curved and adapted to engage the neck I0 of a distillation flask II laid across the base I between the rod-like member 5 and the end member 2, and the vertical slots 8 and 9 are adapted to receive the lateral tube I2 of the distillation flask I I. The rod-like member 5 and the vertical slots 8 and 9 lie in the same vertical plane and the depth of the vertical slots 8 and 9 is such that the center line of the lateral tube I2 will lie in the same plane as the center line of the parallel rods 4.

A second cross member I3 is slidably mounted on the parallel rods 4 and is adapted to be moved longitudinally with respect thereto. A pair of spring guide rods I4 are adapted to slide through holes in the cross member 6 and are rigidly secured at the other of their ends to the cross member I3. A pair of compression springs l5 surround the spring guide rods I4 and are adapted to urge the cross member I3 away from the cross member 6.

A tubular member I6 is rigidly secured at one of its ends to the cross member [3 and projects outwardly through an opening IT in the end member 3. The cross member I3 and the tubular member I6 together constitute a plunger adapted to press the lateral tube I2 of the flask I I through a hole I8 in a stopper [9 by advancing the stoptube I2 against the pressure of the compression springs I5. A depression 20 is formed in the cross member I3 adapted to receive one end of the stopper I9, and an opening 2| is formed in equal distance from the parallel rods 4. The rOdthe cross member I 3 communicating with the interior of the tubular member I6 adapted to receive a portion of the lateral tube I2 of the flask I I.

A fixed hand engaging rod 22 is mounted along 4 the upper edge of the end member 3.

A centering pin 23 is slidably mounted in the center of the tubular member I6 and projects through the outer end thereof. A hand engaging knob 24 is secured to the outer end of the centering pin 23 and compression spring 25 surrounds the centering pin 23 being positioned between the outer end of the tubular member I6 and the knob 24. The compression spring 25 is adapted to urge the knob 24 and the centering pin 23 outwardly or away from the tube l2.

The arrangement is such that upon grasping the rod 22 and pressing the knob 24 the centering pin 23 is advanced against the pressure of the compression spring 25 through the stopper I9 and into the lateral tube I2, and thereafter, as the knob 24 engages the outer end of the tubular member 16, the stopper [9 is engaged by the cross member 13 and advanced longitudinally with respect to the lateral tube 12. The cross member 6 acts aS a stop to limit the longitudinal movement of the stopper [9 with respect to the lateral tube l2 of the flask l l and may be adjusted to any desired position.

A guard is provided, including an upright end member 26 secured to the base I and a box-like member 21 which is pivotally secured to the upper edge of the member 26 as at 28 and is adapted to partially enclose the device.

It is believed that the operation of the device will be apparent from the foregoing description. It will be seen that when pressure is applied to the knob 24 the plunger plate l3 will press against the small end of the stopper which has been previously started on the outer end of the lateral tube l2 by hand as is shown in Figure 1 and since the plunger and the tube l2 have a common center line, the thrust will be in a direction parallel to the tube. There will, therefore, be no twisting or bending of the tube al2 with the destructive effects which mayoccur if the stopper is forced over the tube by hand. The stopper may be moved to any desired point on the tube by proper adjustment of the plate 6 on the rods 4. It has been found that in using this-device as described herein breakage of the flasks with the attendant hazard that an operator may be injured is substantially negligible.

As has been mentioned hereinabove the principles described with respect to the placing of stoppers on distillation flask tubes are also applicable to other types of frangible apparatus such as laboratory thermometers, it merely being necessary to support the thermometer or other object in the same position-as the tube l2 shown in the drawing.

Obviously many modifications and variations of the invention, as hereinbefore set forth, may be made without departing from the spirit and scope thereof, and therefore only such limitations should be imposed as are indicated in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A device for applyingstoppers to the lateral tubes of distillation flasks comprising a frame including a base, a pair of upstanding end members seemed to the base and a pair of parallel rods secured at their ends to the-end members and 13'- ing in the same horizontal plane, flask retaining means mounted on the frame and adapted to maintain'the lateral tube of a flask in the same horizontal plane as the parallel rods and parallel thereto, and stopper advancing means including a plunger slidably mounted on the parallel rods a tubular member secured to said plun er and projecting outwardly therefrom coaxially with said flask tube, a centering pin slidably mounted coaxially within said tubular member and normally projecting outwardly beyond said tube member, and a hand-engaging-knob on the outer end of said centering pin, the arrangement being such that when a stopper is positioned at the end of said flask tube and said knob pushed toward said tube, the inner end of the centering pin will pass thru the stopper into the flask tube and when pushed farther the knob will engage the outer end of the tubular member to force taining means including an upstanding rod-like member secured to the base adjacent one of the end members, a cross member slidably mounted on the parallel rods and adapted to be secured against movement longitudinally with respect thereto, the cross member and the end member adjacent the rod-like member having aligned vertical slots formed therein extending downwardly from the upper edges thereof and spaced an equal distance from the parallel rods, the rod-like member being adapted to engage the neck of a distillation flask laid across the base between the rod-like member and the adjacent end member and the vertical slots of the cross member and the end member being adapted to receive the lateral tube of the distillation flask, the rod-like member and the vertical slots lying in the same vertical plane and the depth of the vertical slots being such that the center line of the lateral tube will lie in the same horizontal plane as the center line of the parallel rods, and stopper advancing means including a second cross member slidably mounted on the parallel rods and adapted to be moved longitudinally with respect thereto, a pair of spring guide rods slidably secured at one of their ends to the first mentioned cross member and rigidly secured at the other of their ends to the second cross member, a pair of compression springs surrounding the spring guide rods adapted to urge the second cross member away from the first mentioned cross member, a tubular member rigidly secured at one of its ends to the second cross member and projecting outwardly through an opening in the end member farthest removed from the rodlike member, the second cross member and the tubular member together constituting a plunger adapted to press the lateral tube of the flask through a hole in a stopper by advancing the stopper longitudinally with respect to the lateral tube against the pressureof the compression springs, a hand engaging rod mounted along the upper edge of the last mentioned end member and a hand engaging knob mounted on the outer end of the tubular member.

GEORGE C. FAIRBAIRN.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 246,350 Stover Aug. 30, 1881 391,760 Norton Oct. 23, 1888 1,346,868 Wilson July 20, 1920 1,372,350 I-Iunn Mar. 22, 1921 1,377,469 Erickson May 10, 1921 1,474,227 Boisset -1 Nov. 13, 1923 1,866,125 Patterson July 5, 1932 

